Volume 5, Number
30
October 13, 2000
HOUSE PUSHES THROUGH BANKRUPTCY REFORM BILL
In a flurry of parliamentary maneuvering, the House of Representatives on Thursday approved legislation to overhaul the nation’s bankruptcy system.
Bankruptcy legislation passed the House last year with an overwhelming 313 to 108 vote. After lengthy debate and consideration of over 200 amendments, the Senate followed suite with an equally strong 83 to 14 tally. Since the Senate completed work on the bill in February, critics of the measure have used every excuse to block a House-Senate conference.
Supporters had vowed since early this year that the issue would be finished by the end of the legislative session. But with opponents putting up new roadblocks every day, it seemed that promise would not be kept. Fortunately, supporters still had one more ace up their sleeve. Using a previously passed State Department authorization bill (H.R. 2415) as a shell, Republican leadership inserted the bankruptcy measure late Wednesday. Opponents were caught off guard, and, despite the fancy oratory and inaccurate claims about the fairness of the bill, were unable to muster enough support to stop the measure from passing by voice vote. Bill sponsor Representative George Gekas (R-PA) acknowledged the procedure was "extraordinary," but said it was the only option available to overcome procedural roadblocks to a formal conference.
The measure now heads to the Senate, where the handful of opponents who have blocked the measure vowed to continue their fight with a filibuster, which requires 60 votes (cloture) to defeat. In addition, the White House has threatened to veto the bill should it pass the Senate. However, the objections raised by Senators Paul Wellstone (D-MN), Charles Schumer (D-NY), and Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and by the White House are largely rhetorical arguments over unrelated issues such as abortion clinic violence.
“The abortion clinic provision is a non-issue,” said Mallory Duncan, NRF’s Vice President and General Counsel. “Existing law already ensures that perpetrators of clinic violence cannot use bankruptcy to escape their debts.”
With the legislative session already extended past the scheduled adjournment date, the Senate is expected to vote on the bill next week. NRF asks you to contact your Senators and urge them to vote in favor of cloture and in favor of the bankruptcy measure. Senators can be reached through NRF’s Legislative Hotline to Congress at (888) 218-7532, Pin# ????.
"Clearly, this nation's bankruptcy system is broken when it enables individuals to avoid paying their debts," bill co-sponsor Representative Jim Moran (D-VA) said before the vote. "Bankruptcy reform is not a Republican or a Democratic issue. It's a consumer issue."
If you have any questions, please contact Mallory Duncan or Katherine Lugar at (202) 783-7971.
SENATE APPROVES H1-B VISA FEE INCREASE
The Senate this week unanimously approved a bill to double the current fees on H1-B visas, emulating a vote on the bill in the House of Representatives last Friday. The fee increase was not included in legislation to increase the number of visas for high-tech workers, which was approved last week.
The fee increase bill doubles the current $500 fee, with the proceeds going to fund education programs for American workers in the hope of reducing the need for H1-B visas. The President has said he will sign both the visa and visa fee increases.
Last week, Washington Retail Insight reported that the measure increasing the number of visas that can be issued contained an exemption for foreigners who received at least a master's degree from a U.S. college or university. That provision was removed before the bill was passed, although it was printed in the final version of the bill by mistake.
If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Whitaker at (202) 626-8109.
RETAIL FACTOID
H1-B (High-tech)
Visas Applications
81,262 Approved Oct. 199 - Feb. 2000
(FY2000)*
India 34,381 (42.3%)
China 7,987 (9.9%)
Canada 3,143 (3.9%)
United Kingdom 2,598 (3.2%)
Philippines 2,576 (3.2%)
Other 30,577 (37.5%)
* Source - U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service
CONGRESS PASSES THIRD CR
With work unfinished on remaining appropriations bills, Congress passed the third continuing resolution (CR) this year, allowing the government to keep running until October 20. Passage of multiple CRs has become a yearly ritual as the Republican-led Congress battles with President Clinton over federal spending levels.
To date, three of the 13 appropriations bills have been signed by the President, three are waiting to be signed, four are set for final approval by Congress and three bills are still being negotiated.
One of the measures, the Labor-HHS bill, has been held up by a provision blocking the Occupational Safety and Health Administration from publishing a final ergonomics rule. Congressional negotiators are hoping that a compromise to block the rule until March rather than through the end of 2001 will break the impasse.
While legislators are anxious to return home to campaign, if the appropriations process is not completed by next Friday, another CR may be necessary to avoid a replay of the 1995 government shutdown.
UPCOMING NRF
MEETINGS
Committee on Employment Law - October 19-21, 2000,
Santa Fe, NM
Privacy Planning Meeting - October 26, 2000, Washington,
DC
National Small Stores Institute - October 29-November 1, Nashville,
TN
International Trade Advisory Committee - November 9-10, San Francisco,
CA
Taxation Committee - November 16-18, 2000, Scottsdale,
AZ
CONGRESSIONAL
OUTLOOK
October 16 -
20
House:
In session.
Senate: In
session.
Washington Retail Insight is published by the National Retail Federation, 325 7th Street, NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20004. Please contact Michael Epstein at (202) 783-7971 or via email at epsteinm@nrf.com with comments, suggestions, or for subscription information.